Sunday, January 16, 2011

Whenever I see a shooting star in the sky I make the same wish "I wish to become a professional ice skater." I have been making the same wish since I was 8 years old. I have no idea why or how that desire even came to be but I still wish for it. Ha! I guess until my professional career takes off in the next life I will still keep practicing.

Thanks mom for putting me in ice skating lessons when I was 5 yrs old. Those lessons have really paid off!

Here it is Family - Longfellow's house. Right across the street from our new church house in Cambridge.

For those of you just joining, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXfzp296zhA. It is a short video of the story about how the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and how it came to be. It is a nine minute video, but well worth your time.

Here we are, the beginning of the new year. I like the idea of a new year - new year, new start, new goals.

A new year is a great time to look back on what has been done in the past year. 2010 was certainly a year worth mentioning: - Graduated from Utah State University - Finished reading the Harry Potter series after starting it four years prior - Complete two internships - one with USU extension, and the other financial counseling at the Family Life Center on campus - Unforgettable Spring Break road trip to Reno for the WAC tournament and another great road trip with my greatest friends to Cali - Received my first ever speeding ticket (I don't know if that was a proud moment, but it is something worth mentioning) - Moved across the country to New England - Began my "big girl" job working for a health insurance company

Wow - what a great year 2010 was!! I seriously loved all the great things I was able to experience and accomplish. But now looking into the future. I have a feeling 2011 will be just as great, if not better! Here are a couple of my resolutions for the new year:

1- <COMPLETE>Write resolutions down so I can review at the end of the year what I was supposed to accomplish (different then I have ever done in the past). :) Due: Jan 10, 2011 2- Spiritual - Read the New Testament along with Sunday School Due: Dec. 31, 20113- Spiritual - Missionary opportunity (meaning having met with the missionaries) Due: May 1, 20114- Physical - Run the Applefest half marathon Date: Oct. 1, 20115- Educational - Begin my group fitness license program Date: Nov. 1, 20116- Financial - Open up my IRA and max it out Due: Dec 31, 20117- Financial - Open up a savings account for a house with 5% of annual income saved Due: Dec 31, 2011

Katrina, Judy, and I went downtown among all the other thousands of people to go ring in the new year. Festivities included poetry, comedy, theatre, films, etc. My favorite parts of the evening included the ice sculptures in Boston Commons, the wild dance party that took place outside of the Public Library, and the fireworks over Boston Harbor. Such a fun night! Welcome 2011!!

At the dance party.

Judy and I
Tay, I put on this head wrap and put in the knot in the back - just how you do it. But I think you look cuter in it than I do.

The electric/techno music reminded me of the dance clubs in Berlin. So fun!!
I'm thinking next year I need a couple of crazy dancers like myself to come along with me.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

In the beginning of November I asked my dad what he wanted for Christmas his reply was, "You." Well that made me start thinking, I really don't need to begin my own family Holiday traditions when I don't have my own family yet. Instead I'm gonna go spend it in Utah with Mom and Dad!I was able to finagle a couple personal days from work, had Amanda Horrocks buy my plane ticket with her credit card (because I don't have a high enough credit limit - haha), mailed her a check the next day, coordinated with my boss to drop me off at the Manchester Airport and a pick up from Amanda once I landed. Everything was kept a secret from my mother, father, Keni, and Tay. They had NO idea I was coming.﻿﻿﻿

About 10:00 pm on Tue 12/21/2010
I took this picture and sent it to my mother at my layover in Vegas with the caption, "Guess where I am?"
She thought it was an ATM. Close mom. :)

9:30am Wed 12/22/2010
Mom's surprise. I love this one.

﻿﻿﻿

12:30pm Wed 12/22/2010
Didn't get Tay's surprise on film, but check out this huge embrace. I have missed her.

Fri 12/24/2010
Decorating the Christmas tree at midnight on Christmas Eve. Guess they never got around to decorating it, but it doesn't matter, I was happy to be apart of the tradition again.

Fri 12/24/2010
Midnight Mass once again.

Now on the way back from Utah the East Coast was hit with a massive storm that shut down airports from Maine to New York. And as you know, I was New Hampshire bound; however, not for long. I was stuck in Detroit for an extra day. Luckily, I was put up in a hotel, given three meal vouchers, and a ticket for the next day riding first class. Did you hear that? First class. I got to walk on the little blue rug that says 'Sky Priority' as I was boarding the plane. Flight attendants don't give their sky priority members peanuts or plastic cups, no way, save those for the town folk in the back of the plane. First class nobility are given drinks in glass cups and fruit with life-size candy bars. It was quite the experience. And probably the only time I will ever have that experience, let's be honest.

﻿

Mon 12/27/2010
My alcove in the Detroit airport for the hours of 3:00-6:00pm. I would change my nesting ground every couple of hours just to mix things up. Don't want to ever get 'comfortable' in the airport.

﻿ Even though it was a bit rough getting back (well, not really - first class was pretty nice) my trip home was simply WONDERFUL. I am so incredibly blessed it was able to work out the way it did. I was able to visit friends, Logan, my old advisor, the Taylor family, my Grandparents, and the Stuart family. I made cornbread and chili for Christmas Eve. Mom helped me cook Christmas Day dinner which included ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, and brownies. After dinner on Christmas our little family sat by the fire, played Clue (Stuart family favorite - dad is even discovering a new way to play, he calls it the "collegiate level"), read the storybook mom gets every year, and later just chatted with each other. It couldn't have been a better way to spend Christmas with some of the people I love the very most.

Here are some of the Christmas festivities happening in and around Boston I attended. Boston is definitely a magical city when all the Christmas decor gets put up.

The State House's roof with gold leafing all lit up.

Waiting the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Boston Commons.

And here it is - the Boston Common's tree.
This tree actually comes to Boston from the people of Nova Scotia as a gift in return for the troops Boston sent up to help fight one of their battles in the 1800's.

The Messiah sing. First time I have ever been to one. And it was a good thing I was sitting next to a girl who knew all the notes for the alto section or else I would have been totally lost.

Look at that temperature!!

Bunker Hill Monument all lit up with a fresh coat of snow.

Charlestown, MA. I loved seeing the real pine bows hanging from door frames and banisters. It looked so quaint.

Charlestown, MA again. Isn't this place adorable! I love the street lamps with wreaths hanging from them. You can even see downtown Boston in the distance. I love this little town; maybe one day I will leave here.

Those aren't Christmas lights. Traffic.

I love giving gifts - Kemp and Joseph got tennis rackets and balls, Avy got a baby rocking chair, Tay and Ken got shirts and earrings, Mom got Anne of Green Gables with a trip itinerary for Prince Edwards Island, and Dad got a great little travel guide book of different trips in the New England area (I can say this now that Christmas is over and done with).